peterlsutton wrote:
Loads of organic bulky material on the top will help a lot.

On a practical level how do you cope with applying manure to a
border
with a bark chip mulch. If you want to manure and mulch every
year,
does this rule out bark chips.

Good question. On the whole, I think it does. The best mulch for most
plants is well-rotted manure or compost. Bark chips are a mulch for
people, if you see what I mean. What I mean, of course, isn't mass
burial of my fellow-subjects, but that a bark chip mulch isn't there
for the benefit of plants, but of humans who haven't got time for
weeding, or who have been trained by some public displays to think
there has to be bare space between plants. I think it's often quite
revolting.

--
Mike.